illegal music or going to pornographic materials. >> what raised his suspicion is in order to unblock his computer, the screen required a $200 payment with a prepaid money card within the next 72 hours. >> if you don't, then you end up getting the fbi will open a file against you and you end up going to jail. >> is there one design that patients react to? >> yes. this is one of them. >> walden is not easy taken by scams. >> i'm trained to use medication as the last resort. by wearing the scrubs, you find most of the time the patient is spending time talking about how beautiful they look, where did you get them from and they forget about the pain. >> he's a stickler for details. you'll see that the fbi's name is missing the word oath. >> if i can have ten, 15, 20

people because they are wearing this, i will be doing a service to my community. >> fbi is aware of the scam. it essentially holds your computer hostage and demands a payment. an fbi spokeswoman told us we would never ask americans for money. cyber criminals know if they use the name of a law enforcement agency. it is not legitimate and if it happened to you, your computer han compromised and you want to make sure it is virus-free before you use it again. >> for more information, go to our website, wusa9.com. we will link you to the latest from the fbi. anita. >> american university is getting the word out about recent groping assaults near campus. they happened along massachusetts avenue between

the birkshire apartments. >> reporter: campus police are alerting the community about these incidents. there have been four since september 24. all involving women here of students of american university. >> it is scary when you know something is happening. >> don't want it happening to any of my friends and ashamed it had to happen in the first place. >> reporter: students are on alert. >> we like to think that on college campuses, it's more liberal and that we are safe because we are in this close community, but it puts things back into perspective. >> women told police they were groped by a man in a hooded sweatshirt. each incident was in the early morning or late evening. in each case, the suspect grabbed the woman's backside and ran away. in one case, the suspect grabbed the woman's chest. >> definitely a little startled. >> jenna's roommate was one of the victims. there are a lot of trees along

this stretch of massachusetts where it happened and it can be dark at night. >> definitely not as many people in the street. less lights. so in that sense, it is more excluded for people to jump out at you. >> some say this will force them to be more cautious, others say they are unphased by it. >> it is something that women have to do because we are women, we have to protect ourselves. >> i walk this campus a couple times every day. i don't feel any less safe. >> police describe the man involved as a white male in his 20s or 30s and his height between 5'7" and 5'10". police are continuing to investigate this situation. they are reminding students they need to continue to be vigilant. 9news. >> hope they track the guy down. thank you. ten years ago tonight, john allen and leboyd began their killing spree that claimed ten lives, left three people wounded and the entire

washington area in fear for weeks. we are on top of this story all week with interviews from people who played key roles in helping bring this case to a close. we are reconnecting with relatives from that really terrible time in washington. bruce, you had an opportunity to speak with one of the relatives. >> that's right. a part-time b driver here in the washington area. an immigrant from india, who worked two jobs. made big sacrifices to get his son and daughter educated in this country. he was shot and killed as he pumped gas on connecticut avenue on october 3, one of three people killed that morning, a fourth was killed that night. his son, andrew, talked with us this afternoon. >> it's been a long time. we miss my dad. >> give me a memory or thought, what was he like? >> he was a bigger guy. he was a gentle giant.

he works hard. i mean, came from another country. he did things me and my sister can't accomplish. he gave us opportunities we couldn't have. he was 17. it's very, very hard to see how somebody who is not your father has such an influence on you to make you do things you shouldn't be doing. when i was 17, i never thought about going around and doing some attacks on good people, you know. >> you've been watching us, told the washington post he was a monster, he felt like scum. this young man doesn't want to hear it. we heard that from a lot of people today. they are not in the mood for forgiveness. we talked to the wife earlier by phone. she wasn't up to talking to us. she is being reminded. coming up at 6:00, we went to a number of locations, aspen hill, leisure world, where this really all began at ground zero on october 3. we visited some of those places. it still fresh in people's

minds. the fear is so real. >> i remember this family. they had such a sweet spirit. i remember covering the memorial. i remember when andrea graduated from college. it's hard to believe it's been ten years. i remember being here. when that was occurring, mike buchanan was still here. i was filling in for andrea roane and we got a sense as this was happening that something was not right. this wasn't just any isolated shooting and as we began to put the data points together, it was clear that this area was not going to be the same. >> absolutely. covered roughly three weeks. i can recall sitting in a barber shop in silver spring. and young men were running in and out of the barber shop because they didn't want to become stationary targets. this was serious. the woman we talked to today said the same thing. people in bethesda were moving with extra sts. >> you and i ended up at one scene in particular at the home depot where linda franklin was

killed. as you are going through your daily grind, you could be anywhere, doing anything, and this could happen. >> that's right. people didn't know who was doing it, they didn't know what the motive was. remember all the white vans? turned out to be a blue vehicle. people are afraid. and these killers did not dediscriminate. they were getting men, women, young, old, people of all colors. fear across the board. never seen anything like it. >> hope we never see anything like that again for sure. bruce johnson, you'll be all over this at 6:00. back to you in the studio. the community is mourning the loss of a beloved professor tonight. wret was walking his dog yesterday when he was hit by a car and killed. leverette was 16 years old. the person who killed him may have suffered a seizure or heart attack before it happened. the community is simply devastated by the loss of such a warm colleague, friend, and teacher. >> it was raining today and

raining pretty heavily, although now it has gotten better. walked up to the store and didn't need an umbrella. will we be looking at sunshine tonight? >> get them ready for the playoffs. they need to go deep in the playoffs. temperatures, 68 to about 73 for temperatures. so temperatures aren't going to move much. sprinkles possible, but that's just about it. winds not much of a factor. here's a look at the radar. most of the showers and thunderstorms are hugging southern maryland and across the water there. the river into the northern neck. and some of them have lightning. there's a couple lightning strikes south of leanardtown. this is going to clip the rest of st. mary's county and a little bit of calvert county. that's about it for now. we still run the risk of shower or thunderstorm later on, but tonight for the ball game, it is going to be fine. we'll come back. we'll talk about a touch of summer. might be surprised how warm it's going to get. >> you know, the rain was not

the only issue causing headaches for drivers in rockville today. about 26 traffic lights were out along rockville pike. this of course during the morning rush hour. pepco says a utility pole and a series of wires came down around 3:55 and nicoleson lane and maple avenue. about 700 customers lost their power and the crews spent hours making repairs. >> for the first time ever, national league east tenant winner and washington, two words can now be included in the same sentence. eager nats fans are buying in, literally. the folks in bethesda opened an hour and a half early to sell the t-shirts. the gray ones that were soaked in champagne, just one of the big sellers. >> somebody wearing one of these last night and i was forced to leave a little earlier to beat the traffic out of south capital street. >> nieces, nephews, friends, and family. >> hooked us up at the game last night.

the team says they expect the playoff hats to be the big sellers. the nats are not the only team in the region headed for the post season. oh no. the orioles, right up the street in baltimore, they have clinched a spot in the playoffs and that raises the possibility of a battle of the beltways in the world series. scott broom is in nationals park to talk about that possibility. scott. >> isn't that something? you have two teams. the nationals and orioles, just 38 miles from each other, but in a lot of ways there is a lot separating them, especially the fans. you talk to fans from either one of these cities and it's like the other guys are from some kind of foreign country. >> i don't think about the nationals. orioles fans during a recent home stand -- >> have you been to a nationals game? >> i have not. >> go nats. >> now talk to nationals fans about the orioles. >> i'm excited that these season tickets from '08 are

paying off. go nats. >> and many fans oblivious to each other until now. >> we'll see the nats in the world series. go orioles. >> we clearly have the better team, the better stadium, and the better city. >> can you imagine the world series? >> i would love it. that would mean i could go to all seven games. >> some families are torn. >> i have been waiting a long time for this. >> george is old enough to remember the senators. >> it would be wonderful to see these teams doing what they are doing. >> but josh growing up with no hometown gravitated to the o's. >> he's going to have to learn to accept it when nationals beat the orioles in the world series. >> we'll see about that. it will be fun. good series. >> all right. a long way to go for both these teams, but a battle of the beltways in the world series, certainly is a possibility. and when you consider how far both these teams have come, the nationals and the orioles and

the dramatic turn arounds both these teams have made. they really have a lot more in common than a lot of fans think they do. reporting live outside nationals park, scott broom, 9news now. >> if not this year, there's always next year. right? thank you. >> coming up on 9, just in time for election day. the pennsylvania supreme court issues the ruling on that state's voter id law. also ahead, a sign of the times. you may have noticed fewer campaign signs in virginia this election season. we'll explain why. i'm danielle nottingham in denver. the fight for women voters in colorado. krystal conwell : we see a lot of problems with the...

number of students that we have. resources. materials. things that the children need... on a day-to-day basis. anncr: question seven will help. the department of legislative services says quonesti seven... will mean hundreds of millions of dollars... for schools...from gaming revenues that would have... gone to other states.

and independent audits will guarantee the money... goes where it's supposed to. krystal conwell: i think people should vote for question... seven because i think it will be a great benefit to children. mitt romney and president barack obama are all cramming now for tomorrow's first presidential debate that goes off in denver. >> colorado still a tossup state and both candidates are fighting hard for the women's

vote. danielle nottingham is at the debate site in denver. >> anita, colorado may help decide november's election and women are a key voting group. they make up the majority of the undecided in the state and will be tuned in wednesday night. carrie and her husband serve up yogurt and lattes for a living. the small business owner is supporting president obama, in part because she believes his healthcare reform law will help her provide insurance for her employees. >> 20% for a corporation to buy insurance. >> carrie thompson believes mitt romney has a better plan for helping small business. she is eager to hear him make that case. >> i think the economy is probably a major issue that is on theforefront of most people's minds. i hope that he spells out his stance on it. >> colorado isn't just hosting the first presidential debate,

it is a battleground state and more than half the undecided voters here are women. >> concerned about the government's role in social issues. >> it doesn't have a role in making decisions for women. it doesn't have a role in deciding who can marry. it doesn't have a role in these issues that really government should not be concerned about. >> thompson says the national debt that is being left to her daughter is also a women's issue. >> even if you don't support abortion itself, that's not an indicator of whether or not you support women issues. there's a lot more to that. >> thompson both plan to closely watch wednesday night's debate. the romney campaign holds a phone bank for women each week and the obama campaign holds parties and meetings targeting women. in denver, colorado, danielle nottingham, anita, back to you. >> okay, danielle, thank you. this first debate is focused on domestic issues.

mitt romney and president obama will spend the first half tackling the economy. the second half addressing healthcare. another national concern. channel 9 is your go-to station for tomorrow night's debate. 9news is teaming up with u.s.a. today to fact check what the candidates have to say, to make sure your tv is turned on to channel 9 to watch the debate. log on to wusa9.com for live fact checking. then join us for 9news at 11:00 for the most accurate debate coverage, no bull, no spin, just the facts. a pennsylvania judge said no today to a tough new voter id requirement that has caused a storm of controversy. that means the law will not be enforced in the presidential election. the law would have required every voter to show a valid photo id. democrats and minority groups blasted the law. they said it would make it difficult for the disenfranchised to vote.

appeal is expected. all right, top, sot rain is rolling by. does this mean the good times are upon us? >> it's going to take a while, but remember, my friend, a fine finish to the week. just keep that in mind. let's start with a live look outside. it is our michael and son weather cam. we have clouds. we have a little bit of fog beginning to develop. that may be the biggest problem overnight. right now 71. a little bit of sprinkle activity downtown, nothing heavy. dew point 68. winds right now north, northeast at 6. and the pressure kind of low. humidity kind of high. here's the deal. here's the satellite picture, radar combined. now we'll zoom in a little bit. the area of low pressure hasn't moved much. in fact, it retrough graded to the northwest. the warm front is beginning to snake up to the north and to the west. it is kind of clipping southern maryland right now and also the delmarva. north of it in the 60s and 70s.

this front will go through tomorrow and as it does so, we might see one more shower or thunderstorm tonight and then we'll pop in the warm sector big time tomorrow. close in view of lightning. see some showers. this is essentially just on the other side of that front, which is why we are seeing that area where the showers and thunderstorms are being created. prince william, back to mechanicsville, nothing crazy heavy, but you see yellow. a little bit of moderate rain as you head toward prince frederick. so, warming up. that's a definite. left over shower tonight is possible. maybe a thunderstorm before midnight. fog develops overnight. warmer on wednesday. and a very, very nice finish to the week. i don't want to over sell it, but a nice finish to the week. for tonight, mostly cloudy, mild. fog develops late. lows only in the 60s. we should be in the 40s and 50s now. by morning, becoming partly sunny and warm. that's the operative word.

it may take all of tomorrow to burn these low clouds off. 60s and 70s. it should pay dividends. by tomorrow afternoon, partly sunny and warmer. high temperatures around 85. that's a full 10 degrees above average. the next three days, code green. 85 tomorrow. maybe a thunderstorm. morning clouds, great on thursday, 84. fantastic on friday. low 80s, mostly sunny. next seven days. this hasn't changed. showers still possible late in the day or by evening on saturday with the terps game. family weekend at the university of maryland. 75, not as warm, but still mild. and showers ending on sunday. they may bleed into the redskin game and much cooler. our coolest shot so far. returns mostly sunny on monday and tuesday. and don't look now, but we're looking at temperatures at night in the 40s and perhaps in the 30s in the suburbs. all right, best shot time. this is a very nice monarch

butterfly. we had this last week, we never got to it. and you know, this shot is perfectly framed and they gave me all the information i needed. so elloise, thank you. want to send us something, go to our website, wusa9.com. click on the weather, drop down menu and upload it. please include your name, town, and your location and a description because i don't know who anonymous is. go to the game, no worries. >> all right, thank you top. coming up, american airlines grounds more planes when their seats came loose during a flight. but up next, this fire ball exploding into the sky from a burning warehouse. we'll tell you what was in that building.

that large explosion followed by a fire ball in canada. nearby residents of winnipeg were evacuated and a number of streets were closed.

no word on what triggered the explosion. fortunately, nobody got hurt. six boat crew members under arrest after one of the worst ferry disasters ever in hong kong. 37 people dead when a boat carrying more than 120 people slammed into a passenger ferry. those passengers on the way to a fireworks show celebrating the national day. over 100 people in the hospital as well. three crew members were arrested from each of the boats. investigators say they endangered the passengers by operating those vessels unsafely. >> talk about unsafe. american airlines is inspecting planes because of a problem with its seats. the dallas based airline acknowledged today that passenger seats came loose on at least three flights. inspections could be seen today at logan airport in boston. american released a statement late today saying it is proactively reinspecting its 757 out of an abundance of caution. >> this should not have happened. these seats are designed to withstand a great deal of force

and they are not supposed to come off their tracks. >> american airlines says two of the latest incidents most likely stem from work being done to create seats with more leg room, seats that can be sold at premium prices. the carrier insists the problem has nothing to do with a long bitter labor dispute with its pilots. coming up, the pope's former butler takes the stand in his own defense at his trial for stealing vatican documents. also ahead, the 10th anniversary of the first sniper shooting. we look back on those first two terrifying days with the 911 call. remember all those condition date signs that used to litter virginia's roads? they're gone. i'm peggy fox. i'll tell you why and what you can do if you see a sign like that where it's not supposed to be. too many americans are struggling to find work

in today's economy. too many of those who are working are living paycheck to paycheck trying to make falling incomes meet rising prices

for food and gas. more americans are living in poverty than when president obama took office and fifteen million more are on food stamps. president obama and i both care about poor and middle-class families. the difference is my policies will make things better for them. we shouldn't measure compassion by how many people are on welfare. we should measure compassion by how many people are able to get off welfare and get a good paying job. my plan will create twelve million new jobs over the next four years helping lift families out of poverty and strengthening the middle-class. i'm mitt romney and i approve this message because we can't afford another four years like the last four years. ♪

don't you just hate it when there are so many political signs clogging up the median strips? well, in virginia, not so much anymore. >> that's right, because as peggy fox reports, people complain so much and so loudly that the lawmakers in virginia took some action. >> here on the springfield parkway and the fairfax county parkway, the medians are pretty clear of signs. except for that one. this huge sign for congressional candidate, patrick murray, is one of the few political signs we found violating virginia law. he has an identical one in the

middle of old king mill road. >> too many political signs, you get noyed. >> they are a blight on our community. >> after one candidate's sign goes up, dozens more appear like mushrooms after a rain. >> it looks like a lot of chaos. >> they are illegal, they have always been illegal. they can cause problems, they are not safe and it's costly for the county to clean them up. >> springfield supervisor says the signs can be hazardous. >> when they go through and mow the grass, you have them shooting wire shards into cars and it's a safety issue. it's a prime community issue. >> though it has always been illegal to post your own sign along highways in virginia. an exception seem to give permission for political signs in fairfax county. lawmakers have now gotten rid of that language. >> i actually like it without the signs. >> if you see a sign that appears to be placed illegally on public property, pat says

feel free to call the candidates or call vdot and ask them to remove it. in springfield, peggy fox, 9news now. >> we called candidate, patrick murray's campaign headquarters to ask about his signs, but we haven't heard back yet. the fine for an illegal sign is $100. so far, the state can enforce it, but only the state can enforce it. fairfax county is trying to work out some of an agreement so they can enforce that sign law. french prosecutors cleared former international monetary funds director, dominik strauss- kahn of rape charges. he had been accused in the gang rape of a prostitute at the w hotel in downtown d.c. now prosecutors say the alleged victim has recanted their story. strauss-kahn resigned from the ims last year after a hotel maid accused him of sexual assault. the charges against him were later dropped there as well. pope benedict xvi butler

pled not guilty to aggravated charges today. took the stand today. he is accused of stealing confidential documents alleging corruption and leaking those papers to the media. he acted because he wanted to expose in his words, corruption everywhere in the church. the indictment quotes him as saying in a way, i felt like a secret agent for the holy spirit. a second agent is the in the hospital. this is the third time a u.s. agent has been killed this year. so far, we don't know any details about the weapons used in the shootout. some republican law may recollects are suggesting a link to the botched gun tracking case known as operation fast and furious. >> a single gun shot fired october 2, 2002, ushered in three weeks of terror and confusion in our area.

washingtonians hid behind gas pumps as they fueled their cars. they ran their way into cars, zigzagging through parking lots. children weren't allowed to play outside. for 23 days, we were stalked by a pair of snipers. that killing spree began in montgomery county and tonight, we look back on those first two days and the 911 call desperate for help. if you have any small children in the room, you may not want them to see this story. >> hi, i'm at the warehouse on randolph road and a man fell in the parking lot. >> 6:00 p.m., october 2, a montgomery county fire and rescue crew responded to shockers found 55-year-old james martin dead of a single gun shot wound. this was just the beginning. >> oh yeah, we have something that sounds like a gun shot. >> a little more than 12 hours after the warehouse shooting, the call came in for nicoleson

lane and rockville pike. >> what's going on there? >> he is bleeding real bad. >> it wasn't until he arrived at suburban hospital that it was confirmed he had been shot. >> the man is dead. >> ma'am -- aspen hill and what? >> a panicked woman called 911 at 8:12 a.m. >> ma'am. ma'am. listen to me. what is wrong? >> a man has been killed in front of me. >> pat, then a 24 year veteran of the montgomery county fire and rescue was one of the first to arrive on the scene. >> shortly after, the female showed up in her car, got out, and she is wearing a dress and high heels and she starts putting on a bullet proof vest. if she's doing all this, we don't belong here. >> medics rushed her from the scene. he was in cardiac arrest.

25 minutes later, the first person to call 911 about the shooting of sarah ramos thought it was a suicide. >> yes, i need the ambulance and police at the end by the post office. a girl just shot herself. >> a second caller wasn't so certain. >> don't see a weapon. >> no. >> as soon as we realize it was not a suicide, it was apparent it was not a suicide, then we start thinking, this is not -- there's something unusual happening here. >> yeah, we need an ambulance at the corner of connecticut. a woman was backing up hadder car, something blew up, she is unconscious. >> after we got the third call, that's when we started to get concerned whether it was just somebody shooting people randomly or whether the terrorist act. >> lori ann lewis rivera became the final victim for the day. she was just 25 years old. >> aspen hill, bus 705.

aspen hill. >> it would be 19 days before the shootings would start again in montgomery county. conrad murray was the last person to be shot before john allen, a little less than 48 hours later. >> the other area victims include kenneth bridges and linda franklin. some of those injured, paul larufa, carolyn, and 13-year- old iran brown. we'll be right back.

caught on tape, a philadelphia police officer punches a woman in the face from behind. it happened at a portly puerto ricon celebration. >> after realizing, seeing a couple second s of tape. those couple seconds are disturbing. >> officer who punched guzman

is a decorated veteran commander in one of the police department's most elite units. he has been placed on administrative leave. also in philadelphia, a ten- year-old boy steals a van and goes on a joyride. he is hitting one after the other. no joy for five car owners. that's how many vehicles the boy struck. he was quickly caught by neighbors who held him for police. despite all the damage, no injuries. he could be in a lot of trouble. >> a massachusetts poodle was beating the odds after surviving an 11-mile ride from massachusetts to rhode island while stuck under the front grill of a car. >> oh no. >> animal control says the dog ran in front of a car a couple weeks ago. the driver slammed on the brakes, but didn't see the dog, so kept on going. it wasn't until the driver reached east providence, rhode island, that another driver spotted the poodle. animal control freed the animal. the dog suffered a concussion.

now through a case of like father, like son, just like the famous crocodile hunter, he likes to get close to dangerous animals. he fed australia's fresh water crocodiles for the first time. >> when it's looking right at you, it's kind of funny watching how they are striking up, but not too much, it was fun. >> robert is no stranger to big reptiles. when he was one, look at his dad, taking him out there with the big crocks. sparked a little controversy with that one. just a tad. just like his dad, he is about to star in a tv program, along with other members of the erwin family. >> people were outraged that had one hand in one hand, dangling a baby in the other. still ahead, his first shot at the major league ended with a single pitch. but now this player is getting

a second chance. >> but first, questions about how well popular beta blockers really work and what symptoms they address. that's tonight's health alert. weeks of this campaign... and more ads. you, in your living room or... what i'd say. losing nearly eight hundred... mired in iraq. nation we are... moving forward again. get folks back to work and... again. that with even bigger... fewer regulations... prosper. on the same trickle-down... in the first place. so what's my plan? manufacturing jobs... exports... that... ship jobs overseas. in half and produce more... clean coal, natural gas... solar, and biofuels. efficiency of cars and trucks. maintain the best workforce... hundred thousand additional... training two million... they need at our community... tuition in half and... americans can afford it. reduce our deficit by... next decade, on top of the... already cut. little more. afghanistan... pay down our debt and... nation-building... right here at home. patriotism, rooted in the... begins with a strong... thriving middle class. read my plan. and decide for yourself. thanks for listening. this message.

new research is raising

concerns about one of the most common ways we tackle heart disease. questions the effectiveness of beta blockers. these are drugs taken by millions to lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. this study finds the drugs don't seem to protect against future heart attacks, stroke, or related death. doctors are taking no, but they aren't ready to change their practice because the drugs do help people feel better. >> personally, i will not change my practice. we know beta blockers are useful in patients with heart failure, patients with chest pain. >> they do have a downside. beta blockers can have side effects. they can affect cholesterol in a bad way and trigger asthma attacks in some people. how long has it been since you've had your eyes checked? he or she can uncover for more than blurry vision. just ask a d.c. man who says that simple eye exam saved his life. >> i went to the eye doctor to

get my new contacts to take on a trip. >> then he underwent a routine eye exam to get those new contacts. in the meantime, he was suffering from chronic headaches that were getting worse and worse. >> how bad did it get? >> i couldn't really sleep anymore. i was in a lot of pain. i saw a little spot of where it looked like a small little hemorrhage. >> he was immediately sent to a specialist. that turned out to be a condition. the swelling of the optic nerve along with excess fluid in the brain. he underwent emergency surgery soon after. >> the brain was getting pushed down into the base of my skull. eventually, you get paralyzed and you could potentially go into a coma and die. >> a dramatic example of how eye exams can reveal far more than changes in vision. ophthalmologists say the eyes are a direct window. >> as you get behind the lens, you can have inflammatory processes, you can have tumors.

>> the key is the blood vessels inside the eye. the eye is the only part of the body that contains blood vessels without a layer over the top. >> many, many times high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure. >> as for zen, he looks at life differently as he walks the streets of capitol hill, knowing he was on the edge of losing his life. >> does it still shock you that this was found through an eye exam? >> yes. i didn't know my doctor could see that. when he shined light in your eyes, that's all he did and i'm thankful for that. >> they can see a lot of things. if the blood vessels are all swollen, diabetes can be the culprit. other conditions are signaled by abnormal growth. >> now we know why we need to get annual eye exams. >> absolutely. what are we looking at? >> we have beautiful video, i think, that was sent to us in west virginia and the trees are starting to change color there. i thought this was just

spectacular. >> that's pretty. >> isn't that nice? i mean, low clouds, a little fog. a little contrast of the yellows and reds and they are almost peek. normally, want to go to skyline drive, we peek the second week in october. downtown in northwest, let's say, we peek the first week in november, so we have time. those are pretty vibrant colors. let's talk about the colors, because a lot of folks think, well the cold air and frost, that's what, you know, precipitates the colors. the shorter length of days is what does it. the cold temperatures can hasten or speed up the process a little bit. but it's actually the inability of the tree to replace the chlorophyll. now here's the deal. the health of the degree before the change can affect the vie bran si. that's why i was happy to see the rain today across the metro area. it could make our fall a little prettier. right now, not so pretty. michael and son weather cam. we have low clouds, a couple

sprinkles here and there. temperatures 71. dew points way up there. very muggy outside. pressure is steady, 29.89 inches of mercury. radar, most of the activity is right along southern maryland, down toward the northern neck and really just on the other side of this warm front. we're going to see showers, a couple thunderstorms this evening across calvert county, st. mary's county, and bleeding into charles county. for the most part, the game itself will be fine. warming up, a shower or thunderstorm still possible later tonight as that front gets closer to us. fog develops overnight. warmer on wednesday, and a very nice finish to the week. so for tonight, mostly cloudy and mild. shower or storm possible. fog develops late. the shower or storm not a factor unless you are in southern maryland. lows in the 60s. winds will turn southwest at 10. by morning, becoming partly sunny. some fog in the early morning hours. 60s and 70s, but then by afternoon, partly sunny,

warmer, a shower or storm possible. few and far between. highs around 85. that's a good deal. that's 10 degrees above average. code green across the board. warmer tomorrow, clouds to start. maybe a thunderstorm. 84 great on thursday. fantastic on friday. mostly sunny, temperatures in the low 80s. now next seven days, saturday, no real change. clouds come in late, showers, maybe just toward st tail end of the maryland game. it is family weekend, too, at university of maryland. so it's mild, not warm, but mild. much cooler on sunday. showers may not end before the redskin game, then we're in the 60s sunday, monday, and tuesday. probably the coolest shot of air we have seen so far. >> thank you, top. >> seven years ago in his very first major league at bat, adam was hit by a pitch that effectively ended his time up in the show. he was a pinch hitter for the chicago cubs when a pitcher for the florida marlins hit him in the head with that first pitch. tonight, the now 31-year-old gets a second chance. he's been signed to a one-day

contract with the marlins after a film maker started a nationwide campaign to get him another at bat. >> i didn't ever get to enjoy being a major leaguer. so with the help of matt and this one at bat campaign, you know, he enabled me to get back and now truly realize the dream and i'm honestly saying i'm soaking it in and loving every second of it. >> more than 21,000 people signed the petition to make greenburgh's dream a reality. he'll live it out tonight against the new york mets. >> i wish him well. >> absolutely. the nats just may have felt like they were waking up from a dream this morning. >> with two games left, they are already the winners of the national league east division. >> and kristen berset is here with some friends for a playoff preview. hi. >> hey guys, joining me in studio, paul white, senior baseball writer for u.s.a. today and sky who is covering

the nationals for 106 the fan. all three of us were there at this celebration. i say i have never covered a celebration like that because of the teams i covered never went that far. but what an exciting night. even though they lost, they still won. what was that night like for you? >> it was strange. the players knew how to react. they are set to celebrate. they want to pour out of the dugout. they had to wait for the phillies to have their hands shake and get off the field. get out of the way, guys, we need to celebrate. >> i remember seeing mike morris come up to bat and he has this big smile on his face that you don't normally see from guys like that. >> they are losing 2-0. it is the bottom of the 9th. let's pour some champagne. it's weird with them losing 2- 0. they are celebrating in the dugout. fireworks going off at nats park, but they lost the game. they had one heck of a party afterwards. >> oh yes they did.

getting down to business, they have a long road ahead. what is something that worries you about them? they have lost six of their last eleven. they are limping into the playoffs. >> they are 10-17, basically over the last month. the relief pitching has gotten shaky. tyler cliff ord has had a tough time. they'll tell you they think good pitching staff can neutralize the nats offense, we'll see. i don't think they want to play san francisco right off the bat in that first series. the real good pitching staff, so the matchups are going to be crucial. >> what worries you the most? the pitching or hitting? the bats cooled. >> i think it's more in experience. one contributing factor is just a pressure with getting them to end this. to finally clinch the division. it went longer than they thought it was going to. one team they don't want to play is atlanta. atlanta is making a charge late and they put the pressure on the nationals lately. i think that's one team they don't want to see.

>> before losing last night, they were 8-2 heading into this final stretch. stephen strasburg was very coy when talking to mlb radio about whether we would see him. are we going to see him, you think? hitting, pitching? >> sitting on the bench cheering his teammates on. it's too dangerous to start him up again. i don't think there's a chance. >> and what do you think? >> honestly? >> should they bring him in? >> no. they sat him down. but you have a better chance to start for the nationals than steven stephen strasburg does right now. mike rizzo isn't going back from what he said. >> we appreciate you coming in. we'll preview more of what the road could mean for the nationals coming up in the playoffs. >> giving the dreams the shot at the american dream. plus, virginia makes

changes for people trying to get their high school diplomas later in life. >> but first, add popcorn to the list of items that could be contaminated with listeria. the latest recalls are coming up in our consumer alert. too many americans are struggling to find work

in today's economy. too many of those who are working are living paycheck to paycheck trying to make falling incomes meet rising prices for food and gas. more americans are living in poverty than when president obama took office and fifteen million more are on food stamps. president obama and i both care about poor and middle-class families. the difference is my policies will make things better for them. we shouldn't measure compassion by how many people are on welfare. we should measure compassion by how many people are able to get off welfare and get a good paying job. my plan will create twelve million new jobs over the next four years helping lift families out of poverty and strengthening the middle-class. i'm mitt romney and i approve this message because we can't afford another four years like the last four years. ♪

if you can't find your favorite dale and thomas bag of popcorn on the shelves, there's a reason. 14 varieties of those signature red bags are being called back over possible listeria

contamination. so you want to check your bags at home for kettle corn, aged white shed cheddar, and bacon ranch. then you can add cookies to the list of items being pulled over salmonella contamination. neimann's own organics is recalling peanut butter sandwich cream cookies with expiration dates of may 27, 2013, and may 3, 2013. tab you have these, you want to take them back to the store where you bought them for a full refund. this of course is tied to that growing investigation into certain peanut and almond butter products linked to a salmonella outbreak that made 30 people sick in 19 states. >> this is 9news now. >> ten years ago tonight marked the start of a three week rain of terror here in the washington area. when it was all done, ten

people were dead and three others injured after the series of sniper shootings. bruce johnson was part of the 9news team coverage ten years ago. tonight he reports from a stretch of montgomery county where three victims were killed in a short morning span. the first hint that snipers were working in our area. >> there is nothing you anemic about the shell gas station at connecticut avenue unless you can remember this place was part of a killing field ten years ago. >> scary, scary times. it was a senseless and tragic time with so many innocent people dying. >> 25-year-old sarah ramos was vacuuming her dodge caravan when she was suddenly shot and killed. >> didn't want to go outside. you were afraid to walk from your office to your car. >> the restaurant was doing a brisk business today. ten years ago, a bullet hole in the window was